WeRead Powered by ReaderPub
From Convent to Conflict; Or, A Nun's Account of the Invasion of Belgium cover

From Convent to Conflict; Or, A Nun's Account of the Invasion of Belgium

Chapter 2: Introduction
Open in WeRead

About This Book

A Belgian nun recounts daily life at a girls' convent and boarding school and then chronicles the disruption caused by the German invasion, describing military engagements near their community, damage to the convent and school, the arrival and return of troops, the flight of refugees, time in Antwerp and England, and efforts to organize relief, reconstruction, and emigration. The narrative combines vivid domestic scenes of cloistered routine, education, and work with wartime observations of battle, civilian suffering, and the exile experience, interspersed with letters and practical details about refugee aid and plans for rebuilding or establishing new foundations abroad.

Introduction

The publication of this little volume has for its object a better understanding of actual conditions, immediately following the invasion of a hostile army. The hope is indulged that the harrowing scenes witnessed by the author in Belgium, after the German invasion in 1914, may induce our own countrymen and women to more fully appreciate the blessings of peace. The events narrated are set forth as actually occurring, and—“with malice to none, with charity for all.”

Any profits derived from its favorable reception by the reading public or the charitably inclined are to be devoted to the reconstruction and repair of our school and convent, damaged during the engagement at the Fortress of Willebroeck, or for the establishment of a sewing school, with a lace-making department, for young women in America or England, as our Reverend Superiors may decide.

Any assistance in this charitable work will be gratefully appreciated by the author and her scattered community in Belgium, England and Holland.

Sister M. Antonia.
Skaneateles, New York,
April 3rd, 1916.